DETROIT >> There is a chance that, sometimes, people can overthink things.

Justin Verlander might be in that particular mode at the moment, as his latest tweaks to his mechanics have — shall we say — not gone swimmingly.

The Tigers’ nominative ace had his third straight poor start, continuing the run of clunkers laid down by the rest of the rotation, taking the loss in Sunday’s series finale, 12-4 blowout at the hands of the Rangers that gave the Tigers a 1-6 mark on the week.

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“The last couple of starts haven’t been vintage Justin Verlander, but this guy is a competitor. He’ll get the kinks worked out in the bullpen, and he’ll be back,” manager Brad Ausmus said of Verlander (5-4), who struck out just one batter for the first time in almost exactly seven seasons.

“He’s always trying to make himself better. He’s talking about tinkering a little bit with mechanics, here and there. Sometimes, we have to talk him off the ledge, remind him that he’s a pretty darned good pitcher. But pitchers like that, the competitiveness in them, just won’t allow them to rest, unless they’re perfect.”

He hasn’t been that lately, giving up 19 runs in a three-start stretch, his worst in seven seasons, tying his career high Sunday in runs allowed.

“Overall, obviously it wasn’t a good day, but you gotta turn the page. I’m confident in myself, and I can guarantee that I’m going to work my butt off, and turn this around,” he said. “Just the feeling that I’m not executing my pitches the way I should. I am sometimes, then it gets out of synch. I’m just trying to find that consistency. ... It’s kind of coming and going right now. I’ll find a little bit of rhythm, then fall out of it.

“I’m just trying to find that consistent rhythm.”

One of the tweaks he tried: Going back to the over-the-head windup he’d used in high school and college, like pitching coach Jeff Jones had convinced Rick Porcello to try last year, in an attempt to keep him from going toward home plate too quickly.

It lasted three innings.

“Felt pretty good in the bullpen, but it didn’t really translate into the game,” he said. “I’m not going go sit there and continue to throw balls all over the place. I’ve got to be able to at least go deep in the ballgame.”

With pitches running back over the heart of the plate — and getting tattooed by the Rangers because of that — he didn’t have the chance to go deep, either, although he argued to continue, in the hopes of saving the bullpen further.

“The thing that makes Justin great, and really an ace, even at 100 pitches, and having gotten knocked around the yard, he still wanted to stay in the game. This guy will take the ball, and you have pry it out of his hands. He’ll take the ball, and just keep going until he collapses. That’s really what makes an ace. You have to have the stuff, like he does, to be an ace, but the makeup is off the charts,” Ausmus said. “This is part of what makes him great, is that he’s ultra-competitive and he’s willing to try things to gain a new advantage, or a little bit of an edge, whatever it may be. Obviously, his stuff is great, but his makeup is unbelievable. He reminds me — (Roger) Clemens ... his approach to pitching was very similar. He would tinker to try to gain any advantage over the hitters.”

Verlander’s been tinkering because he feels he’s not executing pitches.

And because he’s a perfectionist.

It’s not more than just tinkering. “No,” he said.

It’s not because he’s concerned about missing velocity. “No,” he said.

Could it be that he’s still adjusting after offseason core muscle repair surgery?

“I mean, I don’t know. I can’t say I feel any side effects. Every now and again, it’ll get a little sore. That’s a good question. I don’t know the answer to that. I know Torii (Hunter) is somebody that’s had a similar surgery, and he said it took a year to be back the way he should have been. It’s surgery. There’s no one answer. There’s no saying you’re going to be great then,” Verlander said, snapping his fingers. “You’re putting your body through trauma; you don’t know how you’re going to come out. I know it’s not holding me back. I don’t feel pain when I’m throwing or anything. It could still be weak, who knows?”

He does know that he’ll keep tinkering until he gets it right, like he did last season, in the playoffs.

“I’m not going to stay where I’m at,” he said. “Like I said, I’m confident, and I’ve got the mental confidence to turn the page. I know how good I am, and I’m not going to dwell on these past starts.

“That’s not me, and that’s never been me.”

About the Author

Detroit Tigers beat writer for The Oakland Press in Pontiac, Michigan. Mowery has spent 18 years covering sports, from preps to pros. He’s been honored with more than 25 awards for writing. Reach the author at matt.mowery@oakpress.com
or follow Matthew B. on Twitter: @MatthewBMowery.